Granbazán Limousin Blanco 2022

Granbazan Limousin is a richer, oak-influenced Albarino from the Granbazan estate in Cambados, at the heart of Rias Baixas in Galicia, northwest Spain. The estate has grown Albarino here since the 1960s in the style of a French chateau, with rigorous vineyard work. Rias Baixas is cool, green and Atlantic, and its granitic soils and coastal climate give Albarino its characteristic salinity and firm acidity. This bottling is set apart by its ageing: around four months in French Limousin oak barrels followed by eighteen months in stainless steel. The barrel adds weight, a nutty layer and a slow oxygen exchange, while the extended time on its own in tank rounds the wine and integrates the oak, so the result is broader and more textured than a standard fresh Albarino without losing the grape's cut. It pours a bright, lively yellow, with ripe white peach, apricot and citrus over hazelnut, white flowers and a light waxy note. The palate is full and saline, the acidity keeping it fresh through a long, mineral finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.